Hello Darkness my old friend…

November 22, 2024November 22, 2024 / Zombie / Leave a comment

The Darkness. This is something that I speak of in so many of my blog entries. I’ll go through and break down all the many views of darkness in this one. I have a relationship with darkness that spans the better part of my life. There is something magical in it for me, along with the ugly and cold part. There’s the sadness that some feel from this time of year. Seasonal affective Disorder (SAD) depression associated with late autumn and winter and thought to be caused by a lack of light. I think this will get interesting, so let’s get into it.

My journey in life has been marked with times of “darkness.” I’ve covered much of this in other blogs, and I don’t want to sound like I’m just droning along, so I’ll keep this part shorter. I found myself in coordination with underworld figures that trained me to move about quietly, view everything, and the darkness was truly my friend. I feel a level of comfort in the darkness. Perhaps because I was taught to embrace it? I’m not sure, but I still feel something special towards it. Oddly enough in this current part of my life I enjoy the darkness for different reasons than before. When I walk at the pre-dawn hours, there’s a stillness and calm that touches my soul. I love walking in the dark with nothing more than stars and perhaps some moonlight. Hardly anyone is around and I take ownership of this time. It belongs to me!

My mother suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder and dreaded the time change. I know numerous people that also suffer from this. When she had first told me about this disorder, we had a discussion about it because it was something I couldn’t understand. How could someone not love the darkness? It was so beautiful to me. It brought about serious bouts of depression for her and she felt even worse. She’d be disengaged more during this time and welcomed any form of light to help make her feel better. She even liked having a Christmas tree set up all year round so that she’d have the happiness from the lights to improve how she felt. For those out there that have this, I feel for you. I’d ask that you find something that you can hold onto during the months of less light that can keep you steady. My sister is always telling me to think of 3 good things each day. It’s for a different reason in my case, but I think this can be helpful for those that suffer. Try to find the light in the dark. Look for the positives rather than being stuck in the dark. Move about as much as you can, for as I’ve always blogged about, movement is one of the best medicines for the human body. This is from the Mayo clinic for people that suffer from SADS -Treatment for SAD may include light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy and medications. If you need help with this, look into a treatment that fits your life. I’m certainly no doctor, just a concerned blogger that wishes better lives for all.

There is also the darkness that comes with loss. I find that I struggle in the month of November, and especially around the Thanksgiving holiday because this was the time of year that my mother passed away. I continue to try to find new ways to get through the month and celebrate in a more positive way, but I’m just not there yet. I keep myself busy and work during the holiday. If I’m less idle, I seem to do better. I also enjoy being around those that I work with at times when things are the toughest. Crazy, right? There’s something about being in your “pack.” The pack protects you and understands you probably better than most. You spend a good portion of you life at work, so why not make the relationships pleasant. I’ll think of my mother in the most positive way possible this month. I’ve gradually started to erase the sadness of her suffering before leaving this earth. Miss you Mom.

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My current homework of sorts is to try to allow darkness that has served me be present at times. See it and understand that it has served me well during my times of pain. While I speak so much about trying to set myself free from it, I also need to understand that it is a part of me. There is no light without darkness. Learning the things that I’ve learned may have been terrible at times, but they also kept me alive. Being able to recognize darkness and be, dare I say, thankful is what I’m working towards right now. Without the darkness, I wouldn’t be the man that I am right now. Flawed yes, but we all are. Yet I’m strong and confident as well, and that comes from this darkness. I fear nothing on this earth and that too is from the darkness. My biggest fear has always been that the darkness would take everything over and I’d become the dark wolf…forever. I’m grateful that somewhere inside of me that glimmer of light, that touch of hope still resides. As long as I can hold that, I think that I can find my way.

The song The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel, then later redone by Disturbed has some very powerful lyrics. I’m certain that most of you have enjoyed this song at some point in time and if not, please pull it up and listen. I find much in my music and it also inspires me to write more. Just the beginning lyrics bring tears to my eyes. “Hello darkness, my old friend-I’ve come to talk with you again.” That’s just amazing stuff right there. Darkness will be my old friend, now and forever. I’ll speak to it whenever I’m out in it doing my walks. I’ll embrace the feelings of calm that it brings me, and also the strength that it’s given me.

I’ll share a scripture here: Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Even though the Bible speaks of darkness in numerous passages as something less. I believe that there’s something to the darkness and as I’ve stated, you can’t have one without the other. I also believe that I can embrace both, find the balance that I need to carry on in my life.

In my closing I’ve added the lyrics from the Sound of Silence for you all to enjoy and perhaps dissect. Maybe it’ll touch you in a different way, and that’s alright as well. Music is a healing tool, so I’d highly recommend giving both versions a listen. As always, if you’re suffering, reach out and seek assistance to get through whatever it is that harms you. I’ll keep writing because it’s become the best form of therapy for me at this point and time. I’m hopeful that my words speak to at least some of you and make a difference. Being beautifully broken has no shame, at least not in my eyes.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my thoughts.

~Robert~

The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel

Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
No one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

Hell is empty and all the devils are here

November 6, 2024November 7, 2024 / Zombie / Leave a comment

Hell is empty and all the devils are here. I had this tattooed on my leg a few years back with a very dark fallen angel. Its how I felt at the time and actually for a good portion of my life. I’ve seen the worst in humans and continue to wonder if/when they’ll ever shake out of it. Unfortunately, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I think I’ve seen all that I need to see during this election cycle to understand that humans are not only flawed, but ugly. The devils are here on earth.

I’ll tell you all now that I’ve never been a fan of the two party political system in this country. It has brought about this perpetual cycle of “voting for the lesser of two evils.” The pendulum swings back and forth, all the while no one at the street level sees any kind of change in their world. That is what one of the candidates tapped into. The underfed, held down and angry found some kind of champion in him. All of the outsiders found a path to him as well. The darker among us feel at home when someone rages against “everyone else” because we know that someone has to be blamed for all the wrongs in the world. This is not new to American politics, it’s been going on for many generations. Anyone who has had to migrate to our shores has been pushed around at some point. The devils always find a way to manipulate you into believing that “they” are the reason for all of your problems. “They” are the reason you never get ahead. “They” steal your jobs, take your housing and go directly after your tax dollars. Hate is easy and the devils know it.

While I’ll never understand how someone can cheer for such anger and bitterness, I understand it. The problem here is that because I come from the shadows, I too know how to manipulate and set fires simply for the joy of watching them burn. I understand the desire for power and control, but I also know where that leads. Those that choose to follow such a path are destined for failure and unhappiness. Nothing will improve with what we’re doing here, it’ll only create further division among us. While you’re cheering on someone taking control of the country, and placing blame on groups of “they”, you’ll soon find that the promises of betterment were nothing more than an empty promise made by the devils. At this point, so much will have been stripped away, we won’t recognize this country, our government or those around us.

I was promised a better life when I joined the underworld. I was promised money, power, protections, but they all came at a cost. Don’t think that this is any different. The devils are good at offering things that appeal to your needs and desires, but then fall short on the delivery. As I asked in my last blog, “what are you willing to do to survive?” You’d better think long and hard on that one because you’re about to be tested on a much larger scale. I know what I’m willing to do, and I know what I’m capable of. I’ve been fighting against devils for the better part of my life. I want so much to be able to walk in the light and not ever have to worry. I’m finding myself at a crossroads again.

My first reaction to the election news was that it was time to wall up and go back to what I know, where I’m comfortable. Trust no one and be ready at a moment’s notice to step on your throat. Yeah, I’m there. Darkness has been calling to me in this 24 hour period and offering me the things that I seek. The devils that I know are speaking to me, and the message is clear. I’ve been here before, and hoped I’d never be here again.

Those that walk among us and feel that this is the way to a better life, hope and happiness, be ready. The promises will be hollow and your soul will be left with nothing. I’m sure that some may think, “you’re blowing this way out of proportion.” I’d like to hope that that’s case, but the devils have requirements and will be looking to feed their insatiable appetite. Promises have been made on how things will move forward. Promises to others who wish to feed from the table of deceit.

What are you willing to do to survive? Sit and ponder that. Think of where you’re at in your life and what you’d like to see going forward. Ask yourself the honest questions and take a long hard look in the mirror. What is it that you see in your reflection. Is it anger, hatred, bitterness? If so, the devils are here on earth and are ready to make you an offer that you can’t refuse. Just know that once you go down that path, it’s much harder to get back. If you’re feeling some of the things that I am, I see you, I feel your pain as well. We have to make a choice as well. Do we fall in line with the devils, or do we make our own way through this darkness? Either way it’ll be a struggle, and the struggle will come with a cost.

I’ve always been the kind to speak my mind and from my heart. This is no different. I will align myself with those that I hope will guide me through darkness so that I don’t falter. I need the guidance in some areas because I know how to move about in the darkness very well. As I stated, it’s comfortable to me. I want to be the champion of the story. I don’t want to be the fallen angel that lands on this earth with all of the devils. I’m hanging on today with everything that I am. I fear for the future and for the lives of the many that could be harmed in the future. I can only promise that I’m alright today.

Thank you for reading.

~Zombie~

Forgiveness

October 23, 2024October 23, 2024 / Zombie / Leave a comment

Forgiveness- The action or process of forgiving or being forgiven. God’s forgiveness-washing us white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18) God’s promise not to count our sins against us…but requires repentance on our part.

I had a powerful session today and this word kept coming up, both out loud and inside of my head. Through the years, I’ve struggled to let things go. To allow others to possibly do harm to me, and render them forgiven. My view was more of the “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.” In some cases, I sought to bring harm before the other person had a chance. “I will hurt you before you can hurt me.” When I read this now, it makes me sad. Sad that I spent so many years of my life in such turmoil. That I was not capable of turning the other cheek, or just walking away. Times, they are a changing.

We’ve all been there, and I’m sure on so many levels. Pain caused by others. Whether it’s from a close family member, your best friend, co-worker, or just a random person on the street. People have a way of being mean. This then forces us to wall up, put on the armor and take no prisoners. To become an impenetrable force. A wall of blackness. If I become the monster, no one can harm me. Where does it go from there? How do we ever take that armor off, and if we do, will we be harmed again?

I’ll take a few of my own examples and we’ll see how this goes. I’ve been married twice prior to finding Karla. Each of my prior marriages ended in some form of sadness, regret, and even anger. The sadness of feeling as though you’ve wasted years of your life with someone that had no business crossing your path, and the regret that you made a mistake and chose poorly. The anger part came about more so with my second marriage. Because both of these women had substance issues, alcohol being the prime issue. I found myself hating my wife at the time, alcohol and the damage it was causing to my family. It seemed as though I was trapped, with no escape in sight. The promises of staying sober, or clean were made and broken. The tears of pain that flowed because a thief was stealing my children’s smiles. The amount of rage and desire to seek revenge were building. Even after she had moved out, I loathed her very presence. I’d reached my breaking point, and decided to visit an Al-anon group.

The rooms (as they’re referred to) are a safe haven. Filled with others that walk in the same type situations that you might. They have loved ones, friends or co-workers that have brought them to this place. Not in a physical sense, but a spiritual. Each of us had reached our bottom and needed to find a way to live. My first few visits had me thinking that I might be in the wrong place. They spoke of things like “working your program”, studying books with quick references about how to move through the day based on what you were feeling. They also spoke of forgiveness. That was something that was not at all on my radar. I didn’t want to forgive her, I wanted to forget her, and perhaps serve up some karma that I felt was taking too long on its own to get to her. A member of this group approached me after one of the meetings. She stated that she’d listened to my story and thought perhaps she could give some advice. As time went on, she became my sponsor and many of the knowledge nuggets she gave to me, I share on here. She told me after a meeting this; “there will come a day when you’ll be grateful that you had this alcoholic in your life.” What was this madness? Grateful, for her? For all that she’d done? There was no fucking way!

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As time went on, I kept to studying my books, thinking things through and accepting that people are truly flawed. That some are predisposed to being alcoholics or drug addicts. That leaves the door open to believe that some of their actions are not necessarily by choice. (Stay with me, this is where it gets hard) I’ve always felt and still struggle with the idea that someone can be sober, know that if they have a drink or do a drug, things will go all the way off the rails. It makes you feel as though they get a pass for all their bad behavior, while you’re left holding the check! Yeah, it’s safe to say that I still struggle with that one, but I’ve remained open to the idea. I think about my father and the hell on earth that he, my uncle and my grandmother went through living with a seriously abusive alcoholic. It caused my father to never drink as an adult. He did still harbor the same demons that you see in an alcoholic, even being dry. My first wife just felt that it was the way of it. She kept it hidden at home, but as time went, became sloppier about it. She too had a mother that was never sober when we’d visit. I can’t think of a single time that she didn’t reek of alcohol, and what impression that had on everyone around her. To my wife at the time, it was just “normal.” That’s just the way “mom” is.

I could go on and on with many different relationships throughout my life where things didn’t go as planned. The question to all of this still remains, how do we find forgiveness? I’ll get into one more scenario. My past has haunted me for many years now. This was part of the discussion again today at my session with my counselor. I’ve had to take the mirror to myself on numerous occasions, and didn’t care for what I was seeing. This makes my counselor question why? What is it that makes you think you’re so bad, so not worthy. Not worthy of love, compassion, forgiveness. Each of the times that my counselor has asked me “when will Robert be forgiven?” It’s brought me to tears. The idea that someone like me still has value has been hard. I know that I’m a better man, and that I’ve done much to turn my life around. I see the fruits of my labor at every turn. Yet for some reason I still harbor this ill will towards myself. Perhaps from many of life’s events, I gave up on myself.

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I will tell you all now that I’m making strides, truly. The world that I lived in as a child, and teen is no longer there. I’m turning the corner and just down the way is forgiveness. I can see it now and it’s like a beacon of light. I’m tired, and no longer want to hold onto the darkness that holds me back. I want to be alright with being me. There’s nothing that any one person can say to any of us when we feel lost, hurt, betrayed that’ll make everything alright. You just need to keep moving on. “Let go and let God.” That was another saying in the rooms. Even if you don’t believe in God, it was explained to me that you can just believe in a higher power. Whatever that higher power might be, turn everything over to it. I’ve had moments that I didn’t think I could keep going. I closed my eyes and said to myself that it was all too much, please take it away…and it was gone. Forgiveness stepped in and took the load. Be it forgiving that loved one that’s wronged you, or forgiving yourself for being that crazy mixed up kid that just didn’t seem to do all the right things. Allow yourself to be the hero of the story, and never look back. I will forgive myself, today.

Thank you so much for reading.

~Robert~

The zombie file

Life seen through the eyes of Zombie

jesus

Hello Darkness my old friend…

Hell is empty and all the devils are here

Forgiveness